Compression of materials



,1 o. G. DIXON ETAL COMPRESSION OF MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1965 INVlEA/TDRS GE D\XQN AF GEOR ARTHUR R BY 1 ATTORNEYS Oct. 31, 1967 Filed Nov. 50, 1965 O. G. DIXON ETAL COMPRES S ION OF MATERIALS 3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTORS OLAF GEORGE D\ XON 14 TTORNE Y5 ARTH R RONALD (M355 M 31, 1967 o. G. DIXON ETAL 3,

COMPRES S ION OF MATERIALS Filed Nov. 50, 1965 s Sheets-Sheet s W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,349,694 COMPRESSION OF MATERIALS Olaf George Dixon, Leamington Spa, and Arthur Ronald Knibbs, Bedworth, England, assignors to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Nov. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 510,609 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 8, 1964, 49,847/64 4 Claims. (Cl. 100-295) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A press head has its pressing surface defined by plates which are relatively movable so that the efiective pressing surface of the head can be varied. A rotary device is adapted to so move the plates by means of cams. The press head is useful for compressing textile tow into bales.

This invention relates to apparatus for the compression of materials to form bales, particularly fibrous materials.

In the specification of US. Patent No. 3,099,952 there is described and claimed a method of compressing material comprising the steps of placing the material in a bottomless first container placed on a stand, enclosing the container in a rigid second bottomless container having mechanical strength sufiicient to withstand lateral forces due to subsequent compression of the material, removing the first container, and compressing the material in the second container against the stand on which the first container stood to form a bale.

By means of the said method material to be compressed can be loaded into the first container when mounted on its stand, and this container, being used only as a storage receptacle, can be of light weight construction so that it can readily be transported, for example, from a delivery point for the material to a baling ress.

In the preferred method described in the said specification the first container is a sliding fit within the second container and both containers are open at the top so that the first container can be lifted out of the second container. In practice, the filled containers, one within the other, are positioned beneath a press head which can move downwardly to compress the material, and to retain the material in the second container whilst the first container is withdrawn, the press head is lowered on top of the material so as to apply a small degree of compression. It will thus be appreciated that in order for the first container to be withdrawn it must be able to pass over the press head which must therefore be somewhat smaller than the cross-section of the first container. When the first container is removed and the material is subsequently compressed by the head in the second container a ridge of material may be forced into the gap between the walls of the second container and the edges of the press head. This may cause ditiiculty in wrapping the compressed bale of material and detracts from the neat appearance of the bale. According to this invention a press head comprises a pressing surface and plate-like members which define at least a part of the pressing surface, the members having faces lying in close, substantially parallel planes, and being movable relatively to each other in paths which are substantially parallel to said planes, whereby the effective area of the head can be varied. The invention also includes a method of compressing material comprising the steps of placing the material in an open-ended first container, positioning this container with its open ends aligned in the stroke path of a press and closing its end remote from the press head with a support member, en-

closing the first container within a rigid, open-ended, second container having mechanical strength sufficient to withstand lateral forces due to subsequent compression of the material, removing the first container over the head of the press but leaving the material within the second container, enlarging the ettective pressing area of the head of the press to make the head a close fit laterally in the second container and causing the press to move on its outward stroke so that its enlarged head compresses the material in the second container against the support member.

Preferably the head comprises four plate-like members movable relative to each other in four mutually perpendicular directions in a single plane.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan of the expandable part of a press head for compressing masses of textile tow to form "bales, the head being shown in the expanded position,

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line BB of FIG. 1,

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatical sectional elevation of apparatus for compressing and baling textile tow includ ing a press having an expandable head as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the expandable part of the head 1 has a rectangular plate 2 which is rigidly connected to the base of the head (not shown). One of the rigid connections is a central hollow pillar 3 about which a disc 4 is rotatable in bearings 5. Rigidly connected to the disc, one in each quadrant, are four identical quadrangular plates 6, the portion of each plate extending outside the circumference of the disc having a curved slot 7, one end of which is closer to the centre of the disc than the other. Geometrically speaking, the perpendicular diameters of the disc 4 defining the said quadrants are co-linear with two perpendicular lines dividing the rectangular main plate 2 into four equal rectangles, hereinafter referred to as quarters.

Four identical, rectangular plates 8 are movably connected to, and symmetrically positioned underneath the main plate 2, one adjacent to each quarter with the longer sides of each plate -8 parallel to the longer sides of the plate 2. On the underside of the plate 2, in each quarter, there is a groove 9 extending from the centre of the plate 2 at an angle of 45 to its sides, this groove being engaged in a horizontal direction by two projections 10 attached to the adjacent rectangular plate 8. An oval slot 11 is provided in each quarter of the plate 2 and is longitudinally aligned with, and of greater width than, the groove 9, its position along the groove and its length being such that from the centre of the plate 2, the radial distances of its inner and outer ends are respectively less and greater than the radial distances of the inner and outer ends of the curved slot 7. A peg 12 attached to the adjacent plate 8, projects upwards through the slot 11 in the plate 2, so that a roller 13, mounted on top of the peg 12 with its axis perpendicular to the plate surfaces, engages the curved slot 7.

In each quarter there are three devices 14 which secure that quarter of the plate 2 to the adjacent plate 8 Whilst allowing relative movement between them in a direction parallel to the side of the groove 9. All the devices 14 are identical and each comprises a lug 15 attached to the plate 8 and projecting through an oval slot 16 in the plate 2, the longitudinal axis of the slot being parallel to that of the groove 9, and a roller 17 attached to the lug 15 by a horizontal shaft 18 at a position above the plate 2 so that the roller engages a shallow oval groove 19 in the plate 2 alongside the slot 16.

The devices 14 shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 are identical with the one device 14 shown in solid lines.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that if the disc 4 is rotated relative to the plate 2 in a clock-wise direction from the position shown the curved slots 7 will act as spiral cams and cause inward movement of the rollers 13 and consequently of the four plates 8 in mutually perpendicular directions along the grooves 9, thus reducing the effective area of the press head. To provide such rotation of the disc 4, and reverse rotation for expanding the effective area of the press head, a double-acting pneumatic cylinder is provided, being mounted with its axis parallel to the plate surfaces by a trunnion 21 at one end engaging a member 22 secured to a part of the wall 23 extending from the plate 2 for securing it to the press head base. The trunnion 21 has its axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc 4 so as to accommodate the degree of swing of the cylinder 20 necessary when the disc is rotated, as will be described. The piston rod 24 projecting from the end of the cylinder opposite to the trunnion is connected to the disc 4 by a pivot 25. Compressed air can be supplied to the opposite ends 26, 27 of the cylinder by means of flexible supply pipes 28, 29, for causing the piston to move in its two directions.

As mentioned above, the head is shown in its expanded position, that is with the plates 8 moved outwardly with respect to the centre of the plate 2, so that the effective cross-sectional area of the head is a maximum. For contracting the head, for example when it is to be lowered inside the first container when being used in accordance with the method described in the aforesaid patent application, compressed air is supplied through the pipe 28 to the end 26 of the cylinder so as to cause the piston rod 24 to move outwardly from the cylinder. This movement causes rotation of the disc 4 in a clock-wise direction. The rotation of the disc causes a slight angular movement of the pivot about the axis of the trunnion 21 so causing a small swing of the piston about the trunnion, as described. As the disc 4 rotates, carrying with it the quadrangular plates 6, the outer edges of their curved slots 7 engage the follower rollers 13 causing them to move inwardly and thus move the plates 8 inwardly in the direction of the four grooves 9.

To expand the head, air is supplied through the pipe 29 to the opposite end 27 of the cylinder and the sequence is reversed.

When a press, constructed with such an expandable head, is used for baling tow by the method described before, then after the first container has been lifted over the head of the press the head can be expanded to fit close to the walls of the second container and thus prevent the formation of the extruded ridge of tow during the pressing.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a bottomless box-like container 30 is formed from resin-bonded glass fibre and has outward flanges 31 at its upper end. The container is placed on a stand 32, over which a sheet of bale wrapping material 33 such as hessian has been placed, near to a tow-producing machine and tow 34 is fed into it in a regular manner. When the container 30 is filled, it is moved, with the stand 32, into a second container 35 which is secured below a hydraulic press 36, the head 37 of which has a further piece of wrapping material 38 around it. The head 37 has an expandable part 1 (not shown in FIG. 3) corresponding to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2-. The second container 35 as shown in FIGURE 4 has one side divided into two portions 39, 40, mounted on hinges 41, 42 and 43, 44 respectively so as to open to admit the first container 30, which is a close sliding fit in the second container 35. The second container 35 is securely supported clear of the floor so that the stand 32 will slide just below it, as shown in FIGURE 3.

When the first container 30 is in position within the second container 35 the side portions 39, of the latter are closed and secured by sliding catches 45, 46 respectively, which engage fixed bars 47, 48 and 49, 5t respectively, secured to the adjacent side of the container 35. The head 37 of the hydraulic press is then lowered to engage the top of the tow so as to hold it in position, and may impart to it a slight degree of compression, and hooks 51 of a lifting device 52 are engaged below the flanges of the first container 30, and the lifting device is operated to lift the first container 34) out of the second container 35, over the head 37 and press shaft 36, leaving the tow undistorted in the container 35, due to the slight immobilising pressure of the head 37. The expandable part 1 of the head 37 is then expanded so as to be a close fit laterally in the second container 35 and the press 36 which is movable in either direction along its longitudinal axis is then operated to compress the tow to the desired bale size, usually at least to half its original volume. During this compression the tow is prevented from bulging at its sides by the walls of the container 35, which is of massive construction so as to Withstand the lateral forces produce-d by the tow during compression. The close fit of the expanded press head 37 in the second container 35 prevents the formation of a ridge of compressed tow between the container sides and the edges of the press head.

When the tow is compressed it is wholly contained within the lower parts of the walls of the container 35, which are hinged and can be opened, as shown in FIG- URE 4 in the case of the lower wall parts 53 and 40, to allow access to the tow when it is held under compression by the press 36. These lower parts, and the corresponding lower parts of the other walls, which are normally held closed by the catch parts 46, 49, 50 and corresponding parts on the opposite corner of the container, are opened, and the wrapping material 38, 33 is wrapped and fastened around the compressed tow to form a bale. The press 36 can then be released, and the tow will be held in its compressed state by the wrapping material and fastenings and can be removed bodily from the stand 32 for storage or transport. The first container 30 can then be lowered back into the second container 35 and with the stand 32 can be removed after opening the wall part 39 and releasing the hooks 51 from its flanges. The container 35 and stand 32 can then be returned to the tow-producing machine for refilling.

Several first containers such as 30 would normally be used in conjunction with one assembly of press 36, lifting device 52. and second container 35 for baling the output of one or more tow-producing machines.

Since tow baled by this method is prevented from bulging at the sides, it can be drawn freely from the bale, after removing the wrapping material, for further process- It will be understood that the terms upper, lower, horizontal, vertical, and the like used herein refer to the normal position of operation of a baling press in which the head moves in a vertical direction and compresses material in its downward stroke. The invention is not, however, limited to such an arrangement of the press.

What we claim is:

1. A press head comprising a pressing surface, platelike members which define at least a part of the pressing surface and which are movable relatively to each other whereby the effective pressing surface of the head can be varied, a rotary device and cams, the rotary device being adapted to move the plate-like members relatively to each other to cause said variation in the effective pressing surface of the head by means of the cams.

2. A press head as claimed in claim 1 comprising a double-acting fluid-operated piston arranged to actuate rotation of the rotary device in either direction.

3. A press comprising a shaft movable in either direction along its longitudinal axis, and a press head mounted on one end of the shaft and comprising a pressing surface, plate-like members which define at least a part of the pressing surface and which are movable relatively to each other whereby the effective pressing surface of the head can be varied, a rotary device and cams, the rotary device being adapted to move the plate-like members relatively to each other to cause said variation in the effective pressing surface of the head by means of the cams.

4. A press as claimed in claim 3 in which the press head includes a double-acting fluid-operated piston arranged to actuate rotation of the rotary device in either direction.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 278,670 5/ 1883 Swoboda.

744,026 11/ 1903 Bertelsmann 217-86 1,273,334 7/ 1918 Crosby. 1,504,580 8/1924 Rowe 18-5 3,099,952 8/ 1963 Dixon et al 100-3 FOREIGN PATENTS 480,089 3/1916 France.

BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PRESS HEAD COMPRISING A PRESSING SURFACE, PLATELIKE MEMBERS WHICH DEFINE AT LEAST A PART OF THE PRESSING SURFACE AND WHICH ARE MOVABLY RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER WHEREBY THE EFFECTIVE PRESSING SURFCE OF THE HEAD CAN BE VARIED, A ROTARY DEVICE AND CAMS, THE ROTARY DEVICE BEING 